even artichokes have hearts – amelie

2012 is the year of graduation, where i get my bachelor’s degree and my license. the year i will be moving onto a professional career. it’s also the year where my brother and sister will be graduating as well. it’s a pretty damn big year.

With that said, self-improvement is always in order. my new years resolutions for the year 2012 have been under thoughtful deliberation. If there is anything I have learned about in nursing school, it’s that change cannot occur without being carefully planned out and measurable. It has indeed been futile in the past when I made vague goals such as, “Love my friends more” or “Get more exercise.” So in addition to listing specific goals, I have also written down ways to tangibly attain my goals.

1) Run a 5K race. (Komen Race for the Cure, Glendale Downtown Dash)

2) Eat less meat. (Advised list of approved meat: KBBQ, King Taco, Sushi. I will avoid meat that I don’t really care for such as chicken and turkey deli)

* a note about #2. It was originally: Be vegetarian for 4 consecutive months. Then it was revised to: eat from approved list of meats only. Then it was again modified to: eat less meat. I went meatless for 3 months before, but ah, my friends love to eat too much. By cutting out this food, I might significantly cut out my social life as well. I think I will start off with a balance just to maintain my happiness and my health. It’s a constant personal struggle to maintain my health, and I will attempt to get back to healthier habits again this year.

I find that I gravitate towards the underdog, the misunderstood, and the obscure. I’m drawn to people, places, and things that are a bit rough around the edges, more imperfect than perfect, and esoteric in all its glory. I like that the secret of why I revel in a certain quality of a person, place, or thing is mine – all mine, and doesn’t require explanation by anyone else. I simply gain the satisfaction of the secret discovery and if a like-minded person were to understand I would gladly share in my observations. This indeed, may explain my interests in the music i listen to, the people I befriend, and the future aspirations I have been contemplating as of late. Musings such as these…

Often times I find myself suspended in uncertainty- wishing I had done something differently in my past, yearning for something more in my future. waiting, regretting, hoping, searching…thinkingthinkingthinking.

But lately, my feet have found their way down and are planted on the ground. I can see my life for what it is. I am capturing that moment in time where I’m like another set of eyes peering into my life and seeing how things have changed and are currently changing for me. I am freezing the present, sitting back, marveling at it.

what a glorious day for handmade local goods, galore! i was so, incredibly happy walking through all the charming little booths and seeing vendors’ creativity and labor all packaged into a tiny necklace or wallet. the festivities boasted music, food trucks, and little indie photographers *squeal* not to mention, it was set up by a gorgeous bay in Long Beach and turned out to be a really beautiful day (it rained in the early morning, eek!). Quite simply, I was inundated with pure, sunny, delicious, peaceful, breathtaking, exhilarating… happiness.

moustaches are #1 trending this season!

these delicate wheel pieces are making me swoooooon..

you turn my reels. let’s get our mac on.

i like you a latte. you are my sewmate.

so in love with this concept! and loving the framing detail.

breathtaking. they were converted to magnets. i love these.

fried egg in a pan! hehe.

with this necklace, always ready to eat.

ok now really, let’s eat

steak and fish tacos

enjoying our peaceful afternoon, bayside🙂

a barrette made out of a nest, eggs, a bird, and leaves. would love to wear this in my hair~

cupcake candles, yummy!

expensive prints that we liked but would’ve hurt our wallets to purchase…maybe next time

im noticing a lot of jewelry pieces are incorporating wire. saw some rings made out of wire with a gemstone set in the center. surprisingly elegant.

this festival attracted a lot of mommies.

simply amazing. i wonder where they get these trees?

one day i’ll grow my own herb garden

exquisite details.

made out of the pages of books

a boy peeing

had the best time with these girls❤

goodbye patchworks. their next show will be in santa ana!

i love supporting local vendors, especially if the goods are handmade and their profits support a higher cause! my purchases at the end of the day – hello kitty handpainted cookie (Shortnin Bread Bakery), a tin of 100% natural cool mint lip butter (Wisalya), and a green textured/velvet clutch (Vintage Remade). also some freebies: clove handmade soap sample, yelp lip balm, and clear lip gloss.